Israel-Gaza Truce Offers Time to Serve Those in Need

The announcement yesterday of an Egyptian-brokered peace agreement seems to be an answer to prayer. Per CNN:

After more than seven weeks of heavy fighting, Israel and Hamas announced a ceasefire Tuesday. And unlike the other ceasefires announced in recent weeks, this one has no expiration date. The truce does not deal with core long-term issues on both sides. But Israel agreed to ease the blockade on Gaza, open border crossings for more aid to pass through and extend the fishing limit off the coast to 6 miles, according to a senior Egyptian government official. Both sides agreed to return to Cairo for further talks, the official said.

Watching war play out half a world away unfortunately sometimes dulls our senses to the humanity of these situations. Blessedly, our Holy Father continues to remind us to #PrayForPeace, even giving the green light to such creative ideas as peace via soccer with the Inter-religious Match for Peace.

As I type this, it is Tuesday evening. The ceasefire went into effect just a few short hours ago, at noon ET today. I’ve already prayed that by the time this article releases tomorrow morning, the fighting will still be at bay and relief efforts and rebuilding can begin.

And there is no doubt that much healing will be needed. Just a few days ago, CRS shared this graphic showing the aid that has already been delivered to Gaza:

Additional help is greatly needed. And now is the time for us to redouble our prayer efforts, not to forget those in need as we busy ourselves with Labor Day plans and back to school busyness.

About Author

Lisa M. Hendey is the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com and the bestselling author of the Chime Travelers children's fiction series, The Grace of Yes, The Handbook for Catholic Moms and A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms. As a board member and frequent host on KNXT Catholic Television, Lisa has produced and hosted multiple programs and has appeared on EWTN and CatholicTV. Hendey hosted “Catholic Moments” on Radio Maria and is the technology contributor for EWTN’s SonRise Morning Show. Lisa's articles have appeared in Catholic Digest, National Catholic Register, and Our Sunday Visitor. Hendey travels internationally giving workshops on faith, family, and Catholic technology and communications topics. She was selected as an Elizabeth Egan Journalism Fellow, attended the Vatican Bloggers Meeting, the “Bishops and Bloggers” meeting and has written internationally on the work of Catholic Relief Services and Unbound. Hendey lives with her family in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Visit Lisa at www.LisaHendey.com for information on her speaking schedule or to invite her to visit your group, parish or organization.